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I'd say we hold until she wets herself, then we can wet ourself too just so we can be a comfort for her.

Don't forget that there are other party members too and that we are the leader. Wetting ourself could demolish this role.

And we have entered hostile ground. Chain of command is very important in such a situtaion.

In the heat, we make decisions and we give orders. If these orders are questioned by some party members because they see us as someone who wets themselve even if there are tons of opportunities not to - that could well lead to disaster. History is littered with battles which have been won because soldiers believed in the leading general - or have been lost because they had lost faith in the generals luck and skill.

(And if you want to comfort her - wouldn't it be way nicer to pee ourselves that Margo won't be embarassed about it and pees too? Instead of waiting till she wets herself and then comfort her? That would be quite cruel imo)

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I was cleaning out my laptop folder when I came across the old tokens I used for the characters of this interactive in D&D, and it got me thinking: Since I lack any form of super fantastic art ability, I'd upload the tokens for anybody interested in seeing how I visualize these characters. Obviously, I didn't draw these, they came from Deviantart or danbooru.

Next part of the story will be up tomorrow or Wednesday, so stay tuned.

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I was cleaning out my laptop folder when I came across the old tokens I used for the characters of this interactive in D&D, and it got me thinking: Since I lack any form of super fantastic art ability, I'd upload the tokens for anybody interested in seeing how I visualize these characters.

Next part of the story will be up tomorrow or Wednesday, so stay tuned.

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“Alright, let’s wait for the others and we’ll get off the streets. One of these stores should be a good place to hold up and maybe help us find out what the hell happened here.” You finish talking and your eyes widen as you feel a small damp patch form on your undergarments. Your eyes turn to the alley again. You think for a second about just taking a few steps between the buildings and doing the deed out of sight. It seemed to be the wisest move at this point, without the pain and distraction of your desperate desire to piss, you’d be able to think more clearly. You’d be able to focus on the next move of your journey, instead of hunting down somewhere to relieve yourself. Sure, it wasn’t the most pleasant of choices, but you were a grown woman, a seasoned adventurer, and perhaps most important of all, you were the leader within this arbitrary hierarchy.. It wouldn’t be pleasant if you had to explain yourself or try to remain in command with your leggings and boots soaked in a pool of your own piss. It doesn’t set a good commanding precedent, especially with Lucina, the girl who sees you as her superior, present and Addilyn, the girl who looks up to you. Respect is a hard earned commodity and one you can easily lose.

You finally decide to set your shame aside and make your water in the alley. “Margo...would you excuse me for a moment?” You don’t even wait for her reply, setting down the lantern at the foot of the path and taking a few steps into the alley right after you speak. Despite your desperation, you walk slowly, clinging to your silver sword, one hand resting on it and the other stuffed between your legs to prevent another leak from escaping. After taking a few steps, you nervously undo your trousers and fail to save the bottom of your overcoat as you squat and let loose a torrent of piss from between your legs. You cannot begin to describe the relief as the sound echoes in the tight confines of the alleyway. You muffle the sound of your moans, your body feels lighter and the pain in your bladder subsides as your stream sprays against the wall. A minute passes before your stream dies down to it’s final trickle, a pool of yellow liquid flows from the wall and down by your feet. “Ohh...hells…” You shudder, finally relieved, totally empty, the contents of your bladder now running down the stone. You feel a cold chill in the air, offset by the steam of your warm piss rising against your bare backside.

Empty at last, your mind no longer lingering on your bladder. You shake off the final drops, pull up your trousers and rise back to your feet. However, as you stand, you sense a strange presence, like somebody is lurking in the shadows. You turn to the darkness, spying something...watching you. It is too dark to clearly make out what the being is, but you can see it is a humanoid, standing completely still. Thankfully, you notice a steel gate separating you from the figure. That doesn’t stop you from drawing your sword and staring down the creature, giving it a cold gaze as you slowly back away. You hear a splat as you carelessly step through the large puddle you had produced, traipsing piss along the stone on your cautious retreat. The figure turns its back on you and retreats from the gate, slowly vanishing back into the darkness. You stop, keeping the sword drawn in case of any more trouble. After a moment passes, marked by the streaks of urines pooling near your boots, you leave the alley.

You come back out of the alley, seeing Margo sat by the lantern with her legs crossed. She looks up at you, her cheeks still rosy and then rises to her feet. She moves to the edge of the alley and peers down it. You hear her faintly say to herself “I think I might-” Sadly, her muttering is cut short by a cheerful voice.

“Mother? Do you see something?”

Margo turns, a shocked expression on her face as she notices her android smiling sweetly, Lucina and Addilyn beside her with all of your gear hoisted over their shoulders.

“It’s...nothing.” She exhales, followed by a frown. “Come A267, we’re going to see if any of these buildings look habitable.” The android leans down and lifts the small girl up onto her shoulder. “J-just be careful. Do you have your lantern?” She says once she is perched on A267’s shoulder. The android nods, lights a small lantern in her hand and together, they head off toward the south side of the waterfront.

“So do we have a plan?” Lucina asks, dropping two satchels to the floor. “It doesn’t like there’s anybody around to set us on the right path.”

“Margo thought it might be best for us to get off the streets.” You point up to the gun placements positioned on the roof. “She said she might have a theory.” You had already deduced what her theory most likely was; Abandoned gun turrets, fortified buildings, you weren’t an idiot and it was more likely she was just looking for an excuse to avoid saying she had use the lavatory. It was odd, she was a quiet girl with little regard for what other people seemed to say about her or what others thought of her, a logical mind who liked to reason and formulate a solution based on the most appropriate outcome. You found it strange that she seemed too shy and unwilling to do something as simple as urinating outdoors. Surely she would’ve thought of it like you had, that it would be better to push the embarrassment aside and just do so it wouldn’t interrupt your thinking. Regardless, getting off the streets and taking a look in the buildings was a good first step. Perhaps there would be something to give you a hint to what has transpired in this town before your arrival. “We should also be on our guard. T-there was something...lurking in the alley.”

“A survivor?” Addilyn inquires.

“I don’t think so. There was something...strange about it. I didn’t get a proper look, it was in the shadows behind a gate. It was just staring.”

Lucina begins listing off the possible answers. “An undead, perhaps? Or an aberration? Indoctrinated? Could even just be some kid trying to scare you off. Maybe we should go all take a look.”

“It left after it noticed me looking back.” You’d rather avoid a party trek down the alley, keeping the steaming puddle of your piss out of sight of your party members. “I’m sure we’ll find something inside one of these buildings anyway.”

“Was that why you went down the alley? Did you catch it in the lantern?”

You feel the blood rush to your cheeks. “I...eh...had to take care of something.” You say coyly.

Addilyn looks slightly confused, but she soon catches on to what you meant, glancing away and blushing. Lucina however, smirks and seems to understand. “Well...it was a long journey. Better to just get it out the way than let it distract from the task at hand.”

A267 comes back from her scouting, Margo still sat on her shoulder with her arm around the androids back. “We found somewhere!” The android proclaims with excitement, like she’d uncovered an ancient treasure. “There’s an old tavern on the edge of the waterfront! It looks perfect!”

“There’s more to it than that, A267…” Margo sighs. “It’s best if you all see it for yourself.”

You follow Margo down the waterfront, passing various stores now boarded up and barricaded. It is a short walk, roughly a minute before the lantern reveals a tall, colourful building, out of place with it’s more modern art deco style. The entrance, a set of silver and gold double doors are spoiled by the ugly sight of makeshift barricades deny you entry.

“Awfully grand for a tavern in a port town, isn’t it?” You comment on the buildings lavish design.

“It’s a far cry from Dzarapor, I can say that much.” Lucina adds.

Addilyn however seems quite fond of the tavern, even in its ruined state she still seems to sense a pleasant feeling. “Oldengrad must get quite a bit of traffic between Serkaine and Orientia. Companies like Working Wonders and Grotevskiy Industries freighters coming back and forth, it’s only right they build such a grand place for the sailors. It does seem out of place in such a town, but I bet it makes its fair share of money.

“It looks like a pretty sizeable place. Think there might be anything of note lying around? Something to try and help us get on the right foot?”

“There are more guns outside this place, it’s likely this place could’ve been used by people. And if you look above the doors, notice the sign marked on the wall? The one crossed out?” Margo points up to a large crudely drawn symbol in the shape of a house crossed out with an equally crude X. Beside it sits a cryptic message, hastily written. "They can't hear it in here. If they hear it there is no escape!" Code? You think to yourself. The sight of a simple scrawling on the wall gives you a good idea of what may have happened here. “I’ve seen something similar to this in Eserith. The undead overran a small town in the Riverren forest. Survivors had marked buildings, safe places, areas inhabited by the undead, that kind of thing, they would draw symbols like that for travellers or people unfortunate enough to journey into the town. You examine the message, thinking to yourself what it could mean. What is 'it'? What are 'they'? No escape from what? These questions spin around in your head, you should know or at least have a faint idea. You think it might be a good idea when you get a moment to flip through your almanac in hopes of finding an answer.

“Do you know what that means?” Addilyn asks, pointing to the symbol.

You shake your head. “It isn’t a universal language."

“It could mean this was a former safe place and isn’t any longer.” Lucina looks around. “Gun placements to fend off whatever the hell is here, barricades to keep them out-”

Addilyn cuts in during Lucina’s examination. “Ah! This could be like the tale of Caffram of Guildon and the Giant of the Hilts!” She begins, her voice stalwart and proud, “When the vile giant invaded Guildon! Instead of cowering behind the castle walls! The proud people, led by Caffram of Guildon, lured the giant into the castle and trapped it there, they then barred the door and set up cannons to watch the castle!”

Lucina sighs. “Now isn’t the time for a frivolous tale or bardic recollection, Addilyn.”

“No, think about it! What if the barred door and firearms were here not to keep the people inside safe, but to keep whatever is in from escaping?”

“T-that’s actually...good thinking…” You agree.

Margo interrupts your theorizing, an impatient look on her face. She winces and sighs. “If you don’t mind, I’d like if we just looked around inside.”

“That’s not your concern.” She replies with a cold defensive tone. “This is the closest we’ve come to figuring something out and might be the only chance we have for a moment. So can we please just go in and look?”

“It’s Franziska’s call. She’s the one with the most experience so we follow her command.” Lucina gives you a kind, but respectful smile.

It feels good to hear that, to know you are respected and trusted enough to be considered the leader, it might’ve been a different story had you been dancing around like a little girl too scared to use the privy after hearing a scary tale, or worse, if your bladder had caved under the pressure. Although it is a short lived feeling as Margo’s cold and desperate stare breaks away your pride. You wonder if the tavern would be a good starting point, you’d have somewhere to search and be off the streets, away from potentially prying eyes. There is also the inactive lighthouse nearby, a place more likely to be have been, or still may be, a shelter for any survivors.

The boards barricading the door could easily be removed, but there is no telling what may be waiting for you. It could be a lonely group of people hidden away from the mysterious terror stalking this town or it could be something much more...unpleasant. You still have your Demon’s Gaze, which would allow you to sense any malevolent force within the building. The lighthouse is south of you, the gun placement wires stretching along the path and toward the structure overlooking the sea. That may also be a good place to examine, though with her bladder still unrelieved, Margo may not like the idea.

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You look at the gun covering the harbour, it is positioned on a low rooftop beside the corner building, giving it a fine vantage point over the west side. Although the placement is disabled without a power source, a thought springs into your mind as you feel the brim of a hat brush your side.

“Margo?” You look down at the top of her hat, unable to see her face beneath the long brim. “Would it be possible to get one or two of these guns working?”

The engineer sighs. “I already told y-”

“Without the generator? Even if it’s just one, it would be a big help.”

She sighs again.“It might be possible, but don’t hold your breath.” Margo takes off her pointed hat, reaching into it and pulling out a pair of goggles and black gloves like a wizard pulling a rabbit from its hat. After putting on her goggles and gloves, she snaps her fingers. “A267, my tools.” The android springs into action obeying her masters command. She begins to search through Margo’s rucksack, pulling out a small leather pack which she hands to Margo Without saying a word.. “Okay, now give me a boost up.” Again, the android obeys without question, lifting up the small girl onto her shoulders. “Carefully.” Margo winces as the jolt no doubt plays havoc on her bladder.

The rooftop is just low enough for Margo to get up onto with a boost from the android. She stands overlooking the harbour, still looking relatively small against the light of the blood moon. “I need a light. My lantern, A267.” With a lantern in hand, Margo sets her tools down, snaps the goggles over her eyes and does what she does best. Gears clink and metal clanks as the engineer roots around in the metal innards of the gun placement, the lantern reflecting against her goggles. You catch her stern face in the light, a look of focus and concentration seem to pull her out of the real world, she seems unfazed by anything around her, including her own bladder. The sounds of rummaging fall silent as Margo picks up her tools.

“No...this won’t work...however.”

“What is she doing now?”

“There’s no need to worry, Ms. Franziska. Mother is a genius, she’ll find a solution.” A267 smiles sweetly at you.

“A267, hand me the stock and handle of your rifle.” You see a gloved hand hang down from the rooftop. “I need them for some adjustments.”

The android obeys, dismantling the stock and handle from her own rifle and handing them up to Margo. The sounds of metallic tinkering continue. You try to watch but fail to see Margo's mechanical antics as her small frame keeps her hidden behind the placement.

“She has a flair for mechanics, doesn’t she?” Lucina comments as she too watches Margo hard at work. “She made that same face when she was tinkering with that rifle of hers.”

Lucina turns away, looking back at the boarded up cabaret on the corner. “So? Are we taking a look?”

You nod. “We are. Margo? How long will that take?”

“A few minutes.” The girl shudders. “Give or take.”

“Okay, we have the time. Lucina, you and Addilyn keep an eye out.”

You take a few steps forward, staring at the boarded up doors of the corner cabaret. It had been a while since you had relied on Demon’s Gaze but it was the most valuable tool at your disposable. If something lurked behind those boarded doors, it would not escape the power of your magic.

You close your eyes and focus your mind. Your blood begins to boil as you feel your demon gaze awaken, a familiar pain that you have learned to endure; it as if your blood has been set ablaze, a violent fire beneath your skin. You grit your teeth, keeping focus. You open your eyes, the world around you is cast in darkness, you can hear faint whispers in your ears, soft voices nearby that fade away. This...feels different...you can sense blood magic, the darkness of the shadows is tinted with a red haze but you feel it...everywhere, resonating around you, polluting the air. It’s presence is weak, but deeper in the town you feel. You push yourself further, free of the fear of draining your bladder into your trousers with the strain you are putting on both your mind and body. Your blood flares up violently, you hold back the urge to shriek. The vile corruption is strong, and even for blood magic you sense something unnatural about it. An altar? An idol? Being fuelled by unholy worship? That would explain the corruption seeping into the air. If that was an altar or an idol, or some manner of unholy effigy, whatever was worshipping it was nearby.

You stop focusing, undoing the shackles of your demon's gaze. the world around you comes back into existence, the darkness around fades away, the whispers fade into nothing. You feel light headed, the air around you feels heavier as you feel fatigue wading over you. You fall to one knee, your body as heavy as stone.

“Are you okay?” Lucina asks. She offers you a hand and lifts you to your feet. She props you up against her shoulder.

“I’m fine. It can be taxing on me.” The price of using demon magic was a high one. Channelling a small amount of your own lifeforce to fuel your corrupted magic always left you worse for wear.

“Well I hope it was worth it. Did you find anything?”

“Plenty…” You stammer, fatigue hindering your speech for a moment. “This whole town is wretched with blood magic. I haven’t felt anything like it, but further in town, there’s something there. There’s an idol in the centre of the town, something is powering it.”

“An idol? Those are typically constructed by the undead or demonic thralls.”

“Lucina? Franziska? There’s something over there!” Addilyn calls out, concern in her voice. She points toward a dim golden light dancing through the shadows of the town, gleaming over the tip of the rooftops. You spy the faint golden glow drawing closer. In clear view, the stray light becomes much clearer. A lantern? And within in, the figure of a man tall and burly, a long coat draped from his oversized body, perhaps somebody who could explain the wretched lore of this situation? You ponder heading toward the figure, they are the first presence you’ve encountered here but your intuitive side takes over, given the state of disrepair and neglect that has plagued this town, you question what kind of person would be wandering these streets? The sight of such an intimidating figure in the night sends a chill down your spine. “Not the kind of place to be taking a late night stroll, is it?”

“Maybe he’s a lone fisherman, looking for his lost love ones in this ruin of a town? O-or a man on a similar job as us? Trying to unravel the mystery of this accursed town?”

“Or he could be whatever is powering that anomaly. We shouldn’t go looking for trouble while Franziska is like this.”

"If he's not though, he could need our help. Besides, there's five of us!"

"And most likely hundreds of them. I'd wager he isn't alone and Franziska said the magic is everywhere. Chances are there's creatures lurking in every shadow."

“I’ll b-be fine...it’ll wear off in a moment…” You stare over the harbour, tracing the glow as it moves between the boats. “Addilyn could be right though, if he is just a lone man looking for something, or somebody trying to make sense of this place, then we should investigate. And surely he could offer us some scrap of information?” You let go of Lucina’s shoulder, supporting yourself on your shaky two feet. “Or we could go take a look in the town. At least we’re finally getting somewhere. We have a few more things in this town to track down than just blindly rummaging through buildings.”

Thanks to your own magic, a new path lies open for you to explore. The centre of Portar houses an anomaly of blood magic that could give you answers. Though after pushing yourself with your own blood magic, you are left weakened. The cabaret now stands open, you have revealed that the building is unburdened by evil presence, but with the revelation of this anomaly and the appearance of an unknown figure in the harbour, exploring the cabaret now seems the least unreliable option, albeit still the safest.

What do you wish to do?

>Continue investigating the cabaret

>Head into the town and investigate the magical anomaly

>Pursue the tall figure in the harbour______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Demon’s Gaze has been used. Franziska now suffers from mild fatigue, hindering her in combat.

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I was prepared to abandon Eastern Isle. In fact, I had done everything but declare it abandoned. But, after writing a few short stories, I actually decided against the idea. I feel I have a lot more to offer through interactive stories than I do normal stories. I quite the enjoy the freedom and "twisting" of the world an interactive grants me.

However: A few adjustments had to be made, so please bear with me, mainly the format to make it a little easier on the eyes.

You watch the figure rest at the far eastern end of the harbour abandon the glow of his lantern, vanishing into the pitch black night. The first sign of life in Portar and it chills your blood as your curiosity lingers. Why is a lone man walking the streets of a deserted town during the late hours? Could Addilyn’s speculation be true? A lone man on the hunt for his lost loved ones? Or would Lucina’s hold more truth? A victim to this lingering evil.

A weary groan is the only reply you receive, followed by the sound of shuffling fabric and clinking metal. Margo lifts herself onto her feet, her small figure emerging from behind the turret, tugging at her waist beneath her cloak.

“Y-you don’t anything else to deal with up there?”

“N-no. I’m f-finished.” Margo stammers. Her discomfort becoming far more obvious as she waddles towards the edge of the roof. Her expressionless visage and quiet glare is broken by clear desperation. She winces with each step, her eyes dart wildly around for somewhere to seek relief and even concealed by a cloak, her desperate grasping of her private area isn’t subtle. You feel guilty for calling her now. Another thirty seconds unhindered and she could have relieved her bladder.

“M-Margo do you need a minute up there?” You ask nonchalantly, hoping she would take the hint.

“No . I’m done. Did you get the door open?” She asks back.

“We did.”

“Good…I feel like I'm about to burst." You hear her mutter in Serkainian. "I couldn't get this thing working. I am however, taking a few of these parts with me for later use. Okay A267. Quickly!” Margo orders her impatiently.

The Android reaches up and manages to just grab Margo’s waist. As she lifts her down and places by her side, shock engulfs the engineers face, her eyes widening. Margo makes only a few steps forward, trying, albeit poorly, to maintain composure, but it is not hard to see where exactly her hands are under her cloak, pressed tightly against the front of her trousers. You feel bad watching her struggle, you almost regret not bringing it up earlier and letting the girl relieve herself in the alleyway just like you had done.

It’s a valiant effort from the young engineer, but in the end her efforts to hold in her water are in vain. She grows weak at the knees, falling to floor pitifully. “Ah! Mother!” A267 calls out, clearly concerned. You stand silently for a moment, well aware of what has befallen the poor girl. In the pale light, you see a small dark patch, rapidly spreading from the front of her trousers. After a moment, it begins to pool around her shins and boots. This was the first time you had seen such shame on Margo’s face. Her pale cheeks ran redder than hell, her expression seemed locked between seething anger and overwhelming relief. You could almost swear a tear ran down her cheek, but surely not. When she catches you looking, Margo grabs her hat, forcing the brim down over her face to cover her shame.

“Haah…" You hear a small sigh from beneath the hat. She doesn't even seem concerned that she is sitting in a rather sizable pool or warm urine.

“Mother? Have you been holding it in this whole time?” The android bends down by Margo’s side. She tries to move the brim of her hat, meeting an unfavourable shove in return. “I...is this because of the-”

“Don’t say another word!” Margo hisses, her spite fueled by the frustration of her situation. “This situation is horrible enough without you adding to the quandary! I’m not a child! Don't speak to me as such!” Her voice is muffled from beneath the comfort and solitude of her hat, unwilling to show her face. “I want a moment to myself.”

You sigh. “Margo I don’t think that’s...”

“I’ll be fine.” She hisses.

“We have no id-” You continue insistently.

“I said I’ll be fine! I’m not doing another thing with myself in such condition!”

You knew Margo was too stubborn to change her mind. You could argue until the day of judgement and the girl would persist. “Fine.” You sigh. Defeated.

“S-should I go as well, mother?” A267 asks, a tone of guilt in her voice as if she bore the blame for her friends incident.

Margo tightens her grip around her compatriots wrist. “No. I r-require your assistance.”

You give Margo and A267 a moment to themselves. You decide join Addilyn, who is watching the man across the harbour. You can’t tell when he reappeared from whatever dark corner he took refuge in, but for the moment he seems to idle in the same place.

“There is something...off about the way he moves.”

Addilyn was right. You could see it too, slumped, crooked, inhuman with each step. Whoever, or whatever that thing was, it made you highly curious. “We’re going to follow him. Me and you. Lucina, why don’t you stay here with Margo and A267?”

“Are you sure?” Lucina turns to you. She had taken upon herself to watch the northern approach.

You nod. “Me and Addilyn will head into the town. It’ll make tracking him easier with just us two. Especially after Margo’s...incident. Also, that means we can have somebody take a look inside that damned place. It would be a waste leaving such a curious place ignored."

“As you command.” Lucina approaches Margo and her android. “I’m staying here with you two.” she announces, much to Margo’s dismay.

“Was I not clear enough?” Margo replies. “Myself and A267 will be fine.”

Lucina crossed her arm. “That’s irrelevant. Franziska has asked me to stay with you.” She glares at Margo sternly.

“I’ll repeat myself a third time, since you are clearly inept at understanding: Myself and A267 will be fine.” The impatience in Margo's voice grows clearly each time she speaks.

“You made that clear, but if something decides to leap out the shadows and take advantage of your isolation, what are you going to do? If we’re dealing with entities of a demonic nature, you’re going to need somebody and something reliable by your side.” Lucina draws Ardent Nocturna, the majestic greatsword forged from silver from its sheathe, the silver blade glistens with a warming glow in the light of the moon.

“I don’t need you to stay with me!” The engineer hissed, far more venomous than she was a mere moment ago. “I’m more than capa-”

Before Margo can continue her rant, A267 hoists her small compatriot up by her waist, a few drips of urine trickle from out beneath her leggings. “Mother! Ms Lucina has been kind enough to stay with us. There is no need to be so rude.” The android looked at Lucina and smiled sweetly. “Thank you, Ms. Lucina.”

“Mechanical device has better manners than you.” Lucina said with jest. “There is no need to worry, Margo. I have no intention of watching a small girl pull off her soiled and soggy undergarments. I’m going to investigate while you...clean up.”

“Addilyn?” You turn to the young bard, who has yet to look away from the figure. “We’re going after him. I need you to stay behind me, let’s try not to let him know we’re here. I’d like to see firsthand just what that man is doing out here.”

Addilyn nods.

You follow the figure, keeping a safe distance away. Addilyn sticks by your side like she was your own shadow. He begins moving once you get near, moving deeper into the town. The road takes you through a small labyrinth of awkward side paths, rife with neglect, derelict and destroyed. The struggle that has engulfed this town seems more understandable...and far more terrifying. You arrive in the centre of the town, in an old market. Nothing but stalls and stone left behind. The figure, to your own concern has seemingly vanished from sight. You and Addilyn are alone for the moment. In the centre of the market, a tall crudely made sculpture stands tall. It is crafted from rotted wood, almost as if it was made from the wreckage of boats, but that is not the concerning part. On the sculpture, you notice a poorly formed symbol of the occult, a cresent moon with a line drawn through it, smeared on in blood. A disturbing sight. With the faint trace of your own blood, you feel the corruption of that symbol. This...this is the idol...formed from wreckage as a means to anchor the souls of the departed to this realm. You understand now, the idol...it's presence tells you everything. The undead have taken do minion of Portar. This town belongs to them. The residents of Portar no doubt are the unwilling pawns of the accursed souls who forged this idol.

"Addilyn...this symbol..."

THUD! Before you can continue, the ground quakes beneath your feet. You turn fast, coming face to face with the man up close, you see he...no it is no longer man. Rotted flesh and dark eyes, coupled with a twisted and sadistic smirk that reveal a set of foul and crooked teeth. He eyes both of you like a rabbit caught in a snare. You do not draw your weapon, holding for the moment. The creature taps its stick against the ground. Suddenly, a bell rings in the night! A ghastly fog sweeps over the centre of the town, hindering your vision. It feels unnatural, corrupted, it shortens your breath and hinders your vision. It is then, the brute laughs. That deep tone, rife with mockery. The air grows thick and you feel a flare in your blood. Silhouettes emerge from the fog, you see them rising, encircling you from all angles, Tattered garbs and rusted weapons, more bone than flesh. The dead rise. You draw your weapons, ready for conflict. Addilyn follows suit, readying her bow. You notice fear in Addilyn, her arms shake and their skin has gone as pale as snow, yet the girl seems determined to keep a strong face.

The hordes numbers grow quickly as they descend upon you, a cascade of shambling corpses gather from the rooftops and side alleys, all accepting their call to arms at the hands of this malevolent figure. You are outnumbered. Severely. You look around, taking note of what this thick fog will allow you. The pathway in, the way you came, is blocked off by the horde, as well as the lumbering brute, who stands vigilant with a long rusted sickle. To get to him, you’d need to fight through them first. You do however spot two more paths. The first being a narrow alley on the far left of the marketplace. To make it there would be a less strenuous path for yourself and Addilyn, seeing as the hordes numbers are thinner there as well as sparing yourself the fight with the brute; With some haste, you could make your retreat before he would have a chance to retaliate. The second is the house behind you, it would at the very least provide you a brief respite.

The way out is blocked off. You stand with your sword and pistol at the ready, though the magic you had used earlier has yet to subside. Your blood still burns, your arms feel weak, and fatigue devours you. You’re used to though, you’ve fought in worse conditions before, but with the overwhelming numbers you are facing, you wonder if combat is such a smart approach. There is no shame in retreat, especially against such odds stacked against you.

What do you wish to do?

Franziska

> Combat the horde head on, making your escape the way you came.

> Head for the side street

> Take refuge in the house

Blood barrier: You call upon your blood magic, sacrificing your own life force to create a magical barrier to protect yourself and your allies.

Blood chain: You call upon your blood magic, using your own blood and magic to form a magical chain that pulls in enemies.

Demon Gaze: You Call upon your blood magic, seeking out the presence of corrupted, blood, or dark magic.

Clutched near Franziska for protection, with a horde of undead swarming, you remember the smoke arrows you had purchased on the way to Dzarapor. There is also your bow, imbued with elemental energy. With the old wooden market stalls, a well placed fire arrow would cause quite the inferno, surely obstructing the horde. The tales speak of fire being the bane of the undead, the perfect tool to cleanse the rotting corpses that linger. The tales however, are not reality.

What should Addilyn do?

> Arcane Bow: Use an elemental arrow (10 Charges Remaining)

> Use a smoke arrow (x5)

> Use your rapier

Abilities

Arcane Arrows: Addilyn draws her bow back, summoning five magical fire arrows that seek out the nearest targets. If there are less than five enemies present, the additional arrows will strike a second target twice.

Curse Cards: A deck of strange cards sit by Addilyn’s side. She can use these cards at any time, hitting a random target and placing a random effect on it’s victim.

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IMO we definitly should retreat, regroup and then make a new plan. Attacking the strange enemy leader seems unwise. We have no idea what exactly he can do, and there are way too many enemies around us. And more coming by the second I guess.

Throwing a curse card at him is a great idea! We don't have to get close to him, do we?

We should retreat to in the small side street and get out of the town. Fighting in the streets won't work - because the enemy is on the roofs. We would take fire from above, sooner or later that would be our doom.

Retreating into the house would give us some respite - and then what? The enemy would surround us, there would come more and more enemies. If we had a huge rescue party coming to us, a party strong enough that our forces combined would be able to vanquish the foe, the house would be a good idea. Same goes for using the magical barrier. Sacrificing some life force and maneuverability to buy time.

But time won't do us any good, there is no one coming.

That's why we need to get away.

Addilyn should use a fire arrow on the market stands. Hopefully killing some enemies. And confusing the rest. The smoke from the fire (which should be quite heavy) will help us get away. Maybe conceal us from the enemy leader.

We'll definitly get lot's of intel:

1) Is fire a weak spot for the enemy (well, some damage will definitly be done. Immune to fire? Maybe a fire elemental. But nothing else is totally imune to fire. But chances are high fire will do more then "normal" damage. If the enemy is rotten the corpses could ignite forcefully, maybe even explode -> Chainreaction!)

2) Is such an fire inferno confusing for the enemy?

3) Related to 2) - does smoke work as a conceal?

4) The behaviour of the enemy related to 2 + 3 should give us a hint if an individual enemy is intelligent or if the enemy seems to be directed and directly controlled by the leader. If the leader can't see us clearly and the other enemies seems confused as well we know that only the leader is intelligent -> Making only him a big risk.

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I feel like I've neglected a bit of the lewdness this chapter. Gonna remedy the fuck out of that next chapter. Another thing has been on my mind recently is the pacing of this story. I feel some parts have dragged while others have gone by too quickly. So any feedback on that front would be greatly appreciated.

You feel a pendulum looming over you as time runs short. The horde is growing closer, the foul stench of death tainting your nostrils, their screams grow louder. They have you cornered like rats. They emerge from the fog, wretched abominations of rotting flesh, shambling corpses corrupted by vile necromancy. Hordes of the undead descend on you, their tortured moans and screams of agony grinding against your ears. You are outnumbered, a mere party against the might of an undead horde, hindered by the fog. It would be a difficult fight, but not impossible. To take shelter in the house would be a worthless means of escape. You’d be merely delaying the inevitable. The horde would smash down the door with numbers alone and then what? They’d overwhelm you.

You think for a moment, eyeing up the market stalls. They’d make fine kindling and fire was the best weapon against the undead; The Selkava taught you that. It is a shame that burning the idol would do nothing to stop the already summoned hordes. If only that beast hadn't caught onto you earlier, this may have been a different encounter. However, while you are planning, Addilyn seems to take a grasp on the situation. The girl is thinking for herself. She draws a strange purple arrow from her quiver. She pushes in front of you with the arrow ready and takes aim not at the horde, but at the sky. You’re not exactly sure what she intends to do, but you let her follow through with her plan. The arrow hisses, and at the tip, a small flare of arcane energy ignites with a purple spark. Suddenly, the arrow multiplies, becoming five separate entities, all emanating with a ghostly purple aura. Addilyn releases the arrows, launching them into the air.

Five of the nearest undead collapse, pierced by the might of those magical arrows. Their bodies burn with the purple aura, but Addilyn is not yet done, but she buys herself a moment to continue. Four of the undead approach, but you dispatch them with no quarrel, slicing them down with your silver sword to buy the girl her precious moments. I hope you know what you’re doing.You think as you watch Addilyn draw a pack of decorative cards from her satchel. Strange magic, though fitting for a girl with origins of the gypsy. She draws a card from the deck and throws it to the air The card begins to glow. Suddenly, roots break up from the stone, ensnaring the brutish fiend who dares to block your escape. Several of the undead around him also fall victim to the these snares; Their legs and bodies are tangled between thick green roots.

They are trapped. There is only the small horde to the left for you to deal with to make your escape. Child's play. But before you make your escape, you grab Addilyn’s shoulder. “The stalls. Ignite them.”

Addilyn nods. She pulls back the bow, muttering a small incantation to herself. “Eto fier.”You hear her say. A bolt of pure fire forms between her bow, which the girl shoots straight into the market stall closest to the ensnared masses. The bolt explodes! Suddenly,

“Okay! Let’s go! Through the alley!” You call out over the screams of burning undead. Their screams of agony...they tear at your ears like rusty hooks.

The fog, coupled with the smoke, makes the path almost unnavigable, yet you make a valiant escape through the side street, hacking down the small congregation of undead that would dare to stop you. Even when fatigued, they are no match for your veteran blade, the silver hacks through them with a sharp clean cut. They are pigs in an abattoir to you. But don’t take anything from Addilyn, the young adventurer does not stray from your side, hacking the loose undead with her own rapier. She is seemingly hesitant however to engage them more strongly. It is most likely the smoke and the vile stench of burning flesh that has polluted the air amidst the screams of the undead that makes her own engagement seem like such a struggle, and you cannot blame her.

You rush out into the narrow streets. You have escaped, leaving behind a rather destructive path, laden with flames, corpses, and a strange variety of ensnaring magic. You do not hesitate to begin running back down to the harbour through the fog filled streets, your sword clutched tightly in your hand. As the harbour draws closer and your escape seems almost absolute. Something strikes you from the shadows, launching to you the floor with speed. You scrape along the stone, losing grasp of your sword, which goes sliding out of reach. “Franzsika!” Addilyn yells, running toward you with her rapier, but another of these creatures springs from the shadows, striking her. Your body aches as the creature stands over you. This abomination of long gangly limbs and vicious claws fit to rend even the sternest flesh. You have never seen such an abomination. Fear freezes you as the creature grabs your neck, looking into your fear-ridden eyes with a bloody stare.

You reach for your sword, clasping only the cold air. Addilyn too is incapacitated, struggling to fight off her own attacker. These things...these abominations...were they to be your undoing? You struggle to resist as the creature looks up to sky and screams. Thankfully, the lords of fate seem to favour you in your hour of need. An explosion, cast in a silvery glow, erupts beside you, distorting the vision of both the abomination and yourself. The world around you goes light with a blinding silver haze. Through the confusion, you can roughly make out a man emerging from the fog, sprinting toward you before the abomination can rend your flesh asunder. He yanks the creature from your body, throwing it to the stone with great vigour. The abomination turns away from you, locking its hollowed eyes with the man before unleashing a ghastly screech.

The man retaliates with steel, bearing down with a single crushing blow from his mace. The steel collides and shatters the skull of the creature, splintering it like wood. Your eyes can just make out a second man behind him grabbing the abomination from Addilyn and smashing the beast against the wall before delivering a fatal blow with their hammer.

“I never thought I would see the day when a Selkava lets herself get bested by a mere stalker.” The man bears the holy insignia of the apostates church. It brings you some comfort to know that some holy presence still remains to oppose these unholy heathens. He offers you a hand to your feet, which you accept without question. “I am Dexter Varris Von Markor, head cleric of Oldengrad’s church.” He introduces himself as he pulls you to your feet. “My compatriot here is Catia Lyadov. Head of the paladins order.”

“Franziska Audenveil.”

“Audenveil? That is Vetallan, right?” The head clerics accent is sophisticated and polite. He had clearly seen better days, aged and saggy beneath the eyes. He looked more like a scholar than a soldier, regardless of his armoured attire. His hair was thinning and a long beard hangs from his aging face. There is a small scar between his clouded eyes.

You acknowledge his question with a nod.

The head cleric looks back at the plumes of smoke rising in the night sky. “Am I correct in assuming that fire in the marketplace is your doing?”

“T-that w-was my doing...M-mr Von Markor.” Addilyn seems somewhat fearful in the presence of a church official. She gives the head cleric a quick glance before staring back down at her own feet. “I am A-Addilyn Tsereteli…”

The head cleric looks at the shy fiery haired girl. One moment, Addilyn was calm and composed, leading the charge for your escape and now she had grown quiet and shy. “No better way than the way of flames.” He smiles.

“Head cleric, the stalkers.” The paladin is clearly a native of Serkaine. That strong eastern accent could not say otherwise.

The head cleric seems to understand his ally’s concern. He nods, holsters his mace and brushes the debris of his kill from his shoulder plate. “Of course.”

“Stalkers?” You ask.

“Those wretched creatures we just pulled off you. Horrible twisted amalgamations of the former townsfolk. They don’t like to be as direct as their accursed brethren. They much prefer stalking from the shadows, waiting for the most opportune time to strike.”

“From the shadows, huh?” You remember that creature, watching you from the sanctuary of the shadows when you had finished relieving yourself in the alleyway earlier. You wonder if that thing spotting you was enough to put this whole night into motion. “You take one piss in an alley…”

“Nothing of concern.” You respond. Your cheeks go warm at the thought of a head cleric hearing you mutter something so impure. You grit your teeth as you feel a stinging pain and wet warmth on your arm. You examine yourself, coming across a rather unsightly gash, oozing blood.

Addilyn holds out a chunk of her own tunic, torn off during the struggle. “Here Franziska. This should staunch the flow for now.”

You have no problem taking the makeshift bandage and tying it over the wound. It isn’t the most effective form of treatment, but it will suffice. You also notice Addilyn shuffling uncomfortably. “Addilyn? Are you hurt? You’re shuffling quite a bit.”

She ceases her movement once you question it. Her cheeks faintly run red. “I-I...I’m just a little shaken up is all…”

“So you’re okay.”

She nods awkwardly.

But before you go burdening yourself with idle concern, the paladin, Catia, approaches you. You notice she is short, her eyes just meet your own chest without her helmet. “You are lucky we were in the town. Once the hordes have been awoken, they don't settle back down."

"We both owe you our thanks." You tell her, though something in the paladins tone does not make her sound completely joyful to see you unscathed. She speaks more like she has delivered a service she expects repaid.

"We had come looking to scavenge what we could from the remains of the town. Though I guess we must abandon that now that the hordes have awoken. Please, come with us, we can take you safety, over the hills." Dexter slams his book closed, adjusts his belt and orders his compatriot to move out.

“Hold up!" You call to the head cleric. "We still have comrades out there. They are down by the dock.”

Dexter stops in his tracks. "How many?" He asks.

"Three. An engineer, her assistant, and a warrior such as myself. We left them to investigate what looked like an old safehouse in that old cabaret, while myself and Addilyn chose to follow a man we spied across the harbour."

The paladin sighs. "There may not be time to get down to the harbour, let alone the cabaret. There is a good chance they have already been overrun."

"Be careful what you say..." Addilyn hisses.

"We must help any we can, Catia. No question. I am not about to leave three people to the wolves on the gamble they may already be lost, especially if they are the comrades of these girls. Surely they are capable fighters. Ready your weapon." He orders Catia.

The head paladin sighs and obeys her comrade. She readies her greathammer.

Dexter readies his mace once more, he reads a small incantation, lighting up his mace with holy light. "The cabaret you said? On the west side of the harbour? I know the place. We shall lead the way, Franziska, you do not look in any condition to be the vanguard here." Dexter himself readies his weapon, he lights the lantern hanging from his belt and leads you back down the harbour.

You fight your way down to the cabaret, back to your comrades. There were more of undead to deal with, though fortunately, they were only shamblers. Fighting on such a weak set of legs has not made you feel any better. You had hoped the adrenaline would’ve put some fight back into you, but now you just feel exhausted. Losing some blood and the painful gash on your arm has not done anything to help. Thankfully, the head cleric and his compatriot crusader make the conflict less strenuous on yourself; They lead the attack, cutting down the horde in a blaze of holy fury.

The harbour is laden with fresh corpses, especially around the cabaret. You spot Lucina standing solo outside on the dock with Ardent Nocturna in her hands. At least twenty of the undead encircle her, with Margo and A267 nowhere in sight. She stands still for a moment, letting them surround her. After a moment, she strikes, lashing out at the horde with a furious flurry of strikes with the blade, slicing apart the undead in mere moments. Their haunting screams of agony fill the air as Ardent Nocturna sets the corpses ablaze. Two of the undead attempt to strike her from behind, but their efforts are in vain. Lucina drops the sword, assaulting one of them with her fists, the second tries to take advantage, lunging while she is beating the first one into mush. She dodges the lunge, removing a dagger from her boot and striking it in the neck. Once both of the shambling corpses are defeated, Lucina drops the dagger, falling to her knees.

“Lucina!” Addilyn sprints towards her, uncaring of a potential threat of a second strike from the hordes, though it seems for the moment, Lucina has dealt with the worst of this struggle.

You follow with the head cleric, struggling until a surge of adrenaline allows you to get over to your fallen comrade. She sits on the floor breathing heavily. Her armour is scratched and the once stylish dress she wore under it torn up, leaving her bare arms and left leg exposed. "There is no need to worry about me, Addilyn." She gets herself to her feet with no struggle. "Just a few scratches." She notices your arm wrapped up in the cloth, the once white cotton stained deeply with blood. "Are you okay?" She asks you.

Before you can answer, you hear movement above you, fast steps and growling along the rooftops. Another of the stalkers attempts to ambush you. You hear its scream, turning with your pistol drawn. The rest of your party follow suit. A gunshot echoes through the air. The stalker collapses, a fresh wound protruding from its heart. A clean shot. From one of the nearby rooftops, you spy A267, lying down beside a smoking rifle. The android has a keen eye, dispatching the stalker with precision while the creature was moving with great speed.

“Got him!” The android congratulates herself. “I got him, mother.” A267 lifts up Margo from her side, the engineer is brandishing her own rivet gun. The android hops down from the low rooftop, bringing Margo down with her on her shoulder. “Mother? Do you mind if I put you down? You’re making my shoulder damp.”

Margo’s eyes widen, her pale cheeks again run red. “Be quiet!”

“We were investigating in here when this bell began echoing and then a fog rolled over the harbour. They jumped us while this one was pulling off her soiled leggings in the corner.” Lucina reaches down and grabs Ardent Nocturna. The once silver blade is sullied by tainted blood, but even through the red stained blade, it glows. “You looked adorable, shooting a shambler in your frilly undergarments.”

Margo scowls, cursing in Serkainian before hopping off the androids shoulder. You can only guess being forced to fight in soggy leggings was not a pleasant experience. Unfortunately you knew how that felt. Hell, you’ve endured combat after doing a lot worse in your breeches, it’s not comfortable or very pleasant.

“Damned abominations run this town.” The head cleric looks back across the harbour. The fire is spread acrossing the rooftops, engulfing the centre of the town in flames. “So, are you girls here to “break our curse” or are you looking to exploit whatever manner of the hells has corrupted our island?”

“We’re here in the hopes of breaking this curse.” You respond.

“You look capable. All of you.” The paladin comments. “Head cleric, we would be safest going back the secondary route.”

“I agree. Come all of you, we can go through the sewers. We have a makeshift tunnel that connects them to the mines. From there we can get back to the church.”

“The church?” Lucina asks.

“The last sanctuary on this island.”

You look around at your party. Addilyn, who is still shuffling uncomfortably. Lucina, in her armour, scratched and ragged from the surprise attack. And Margo, standing in her soiled gear, clearly frustrated. You would welcome a place to call shelter, especially after the way this night has escalated. "Lead the way." You accept.

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Solid ending. Do you plan on doing stories for the individual characters like you did with Margo?

There is one for Addilyn (Or Ayla) which in the fiction part and there was one I did for Yuka, one of the characters who didn't get picked. They were for practice more than anything though and I decided to share them here.

But for the moment, this interactive is my top priority and I'm going to start working in the chances to properly get to know the characters.

Edited August 4, 2017 by JustClom

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There is one for Addilyn (Or Ayla) which in the fiction part and there was one I did for Yuka, one of the characters who didn't get picked. They were for practice more than anything though and I decided to share them here.

But for the moment, this interactive is my top priority and I'm going to start working in the chances to properly get to know the characters.